The moment the bell rang—
The air changed.
It wasn't explosive like the previous fight.
It wasn't loud.
It wasn't wild.
It was—
Quiet.
Deadly quiet.
The First Strike
Lin Feng felt it before he saw it.
A shift in the air.
A presence at his back.
Too fast.
Too precise.
His instincts screamed.
He moved.
Barely.
A thin blade sliced past where his neck had been—
So close he felt the cold edge brush against his skin.
A strand of his hair drifted to the ground.
Immediate Pressure
Lin Feng spun around.
But his opponent was already gone.
Vanished.
No wasted movement.
No unnecessary steps.
Just—
Efficiency.
"…Yeah," Lin Feng muttered.
"This one's annoying."
The Crowd Falls Silent
Unlike before—
The crowd wasn't shouting wildly.
They were watching.
Carefully.
Even they could feel it.
This fight was different.
More dangerous.
Hunter vs Target
The blade-user reappeared.
Not in front.
Not behind.
To the side.
Another strike.
Quick.
Sharp.
Aimed directly at Lin Feng's ribs.
Lin Feng blocked—
But—
CLANG!
The impact rang out sharply.
The force wasn't overwhelming.
But the precision—
It slipped through his defense slightly.
A shallow cut formed.
Blood.
First Blood
The crowd reacted instantly.
"He got him!"
"Too fast!"
Lin Feng glanced at the cut.
Then smirked.
"…Okay."
"Now I'm awake."
Understanding the Opponent
He exhaled slowly.
Calming his breathing.
Slowing everything down.
He's not stronger than the last guy…
But he's more dangerous.
Speed.
Precision.
Timing.
This opponent didn't overwhelm.
He dismantled.
The Blade Speaks
"You rely on power," the man said calmly, circling him.
"That won't work against me."
Lin Feng rolled his shoulders slightly.
"Good thing I've got more than that."
The Tempo Increases
The blade-user moved again.
Faster.
Even faster than before.
Multiple afterimages flickered across the arena.
Left.
Right.
Behind.
Above.
Lin Feng's eyes sharpened.
His senses stretched to their limit.
A Storm of Cuts
The attacks came in a flurry.
Thin, precise slashes.
Each one targeting a vital point.
Each one forcing Lin Feng to react instantly.
He dodged one.
Blocked another.
Twisted past a third.
But—
Not all of them.
Another shallow cut.
Then another.
And another.
Accumulating Damage
None were fatal.
None were deep.
But together—
They built pressure.
Pain.
Fatigue.
The blade-user stepped back slightly.
Watching.
Waiting.
"You're slowing down."
Lin Feng wiped a bit of blood from his arm.
"…Am I?"
Adapting Mid-Fight
Inside—
His mind raced.
Analyzing.
Breaking patterns.
He attacks after repositioning…
Always from blind spots…
And he expects me to react…
Lin Feng's eyes narrowed.
"…Got it."
The Trap
The blade-user vanished again.
Appearing behind him—
Exactly as before.
Blade aimed at his neck.
Perfect.
Precise.
Certain.
But This Time—
Lin Feng didn't turn.
Didn't dodge.
Didn't react the way he had before.
He stepped forward.
Breaking the Pattern
The blade sliced through air—
Missing.
For the first time—
The blade-user's strike failed completely.
His eyes widened slightly.
"…What?"
Counterattack
Lin Feng turned instantly.
His fist already moving.
Fast.
Direct.
Unexpected.
The blade-user tried to retreat—
But this time—
He was too close.
Impact
BOOM!
The punch connected cleanly.
The man's body lifted slightly from the ground before crashing backward across the arena floor.
The crowd exploded.
"He hit him!"
"No way!"
Momentum Shift
Lin Feng didn't stop.
He stepped forward immediately.
Closing the distance.
Not giving his opponent time to recover.
"Your turn," he said calmly.
Pressure Reversed
Now—
The blade-user was the one on the defensive.
He tried to regain space.
To reposition.
But Lin Feng stayed close.
Too close.
Every movement was cut off.
Every escape denied.
Close Combat Advantage
Without distance—
The blade lost its advantage.
Precision became limited.
Speed became restricted.
Lin Feng's fists—
Now dominated.
Relentless Assault
Punch after punch.
Strike after strike.
Each one heavier than the last.
The blade-user blocked what he could—
But not everything.
His breathing grew uneven.
His movements less precise.
Final Resistance
With a sudden burst—
He tried to break away.
A desperate move.
A final attempt.
But—
Lin Feng had already anticipated it.
The Deciding Blow
He stepped in.
Perfect timing.
Perfect angle.
His fist surged forward with everything he had.
Victory Secured
BOOOOOOM!!!
The impact echoed across the entire arena.
The blade-user's body hit the ground hard.
And this time—
He didn't get up.
Silence… Then Explosion
For a moment—
Silence.
Then—
The arena erupted louder than ever before.
"HE WON AGAIN!!!"
"TWO IN A ROW!"
"WHO IS THIS GUY?!"
Lin Feng Stands Victorious
Lin Feng stood in the center.
Breathing heavier now.
Cuts across his body.
But his posture—
Unshaken.
His eyes—
Focused.
Alive.
Progress Achieved
Inside him, that familiar awareness returned.
Calm.
Certain.
Core Condensation opponent defeated.
Progress… 2.
Lin Feng exhaled slowly.
"One more."
Above the Arena
In the shadows—
The watching figure finally spoke.
"…He's ready."
Another voice responded quietly.
"Should we approach him?"
A brief pause.
Then—
"Not yet."
Cliffhanger
As Lin Feng turned to leave—
A new presence entered the arena.
Not loud.
Not flashy.
But—
Overwhelming.
The crowd fell silent almost instantly.
Lin Feng stopped.
Slowly turned.
And for the first time since arriving—
His expression changed slightly.
"…Now that's different."